As stated by the Higher Learning Commission, assessment is a strategy for understanding and improving student learning and educational quality. With this in mind, Arkansas State University-Newport has chosen several guidelines:
- Our program flows from our mission statement.
- Our conceptual framework is our nine stated strategic goals.
- Our faculty has ownership and responsibility of our programs.
- Our program has institution-wide support from the top down. Frequent conversation and dialogue concerning assessment is a positive and continuous method for improvement.
- Our program uses multiple assessment methods and strives to collect measurable data to further student learning and institutional growth.
- Our program provides feedback to our students, the communities within our service area, faculty, and to all who have a vested interest in our institution. We endeavor to provide feedback that is specific and timely.
- Our program is cost effective. We use our resources as economically as possible. We provide directional leadership and timelines for projects and reports.
- Our program leads to improvement through continuous monitoring and adjusting according to data analysis.
- Our program includes a process for evaluating the assessment program to see if it is working, appropriate, and useful.
The possibility of change through continuous improvement is a foundation for ASUN's assessment program. The design of Arkansas State University-Newport's Assessment Plan is based on a continual quality improvement cycle exemplified in the Shewart PDSA Model - PLAN, DO, STUDY, ACT. The underlying premise of this method is that continual improvement requires repeated revolutions of this cycle and provides a structure for planned change through use of assessment information as a means to improve. ASUN modified the Shewart PDSA model to accommodate our individual needs. Our categories for our assessment tool are PLAN, DO, CHECK, ACTION.
